An interview with Omar Tawakol

Omar Tawakol is a commercial manager at Altawakol NTT and the founder of the lighting brand, Solis. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the American University in Cairo and graduating with honors, Omar became responsible for all the sales and marketing activities of NTT, leading over 80 people in his department. 

Very passionate about lighting, he received a master’s degree in Lighting Design from Politecnico Di Milano in 2015; a step that encouraged him to launch a professional lighting design department at his company. Later, he established his lighting brand, Solis. Being a strong believer in the power that lighting could have on people and the prominent effect it could leave on a space, Omar’s main goal is to introduce exceptional quality products and design services that will change the lighting market in Egypt. He is not only passionate about lighting, but his love for music is also patent. As a result, he believes that light and sound could conduct a marvelous experience when combined.How did you initially embark on the lighting and design business? 

Tawakol NTT has been in the lighting and manufacturing business since the late 90s. As a family, we are very work-oriented, and career-driven; values that were instilled in me from a very young age. I started working when I was in school, during my summer breaks, which helped me familiarize myself with and got me exposed to the world of lighting. By the time I graduated from university and became fully focused on work, I started to explore the professional lighting field and the lighting market in Egypt. My latest degree had a great impact on reinforcing my work; I found myself automatically lured to focus on ceilings everywhere I went, and I loved the effect and power that lighting gave to spaces, but I did not know how to choose the right product for each application. This was when I decided to turn my passion into knowledge and dive into the professional world of lighting by studying lighting design in 2015 at Politecnico Di Milano. 

What are the key transitional life or career phases that were critical for your career? Phases that helped in pushing your career forward. 

In 2012, I traveled to Paris and went to a watch store and found myself astonished by a tiny lighting fixture used to light a watch. I remember remaining fixed next to the product, amazed by its size and its perfect light effect. The product was OPERA by DGA lighting. At this moment, I knew how attractive lighting can be, and since then I have always been very passionate about lighting. 

In 2018, I launched Al-tawakol’s very own, top-notch lighting brand, Solis. At that time, I had enough experience to understand what the market needed, I knew the gaps and what was missing. So, to answer your question, Solis is definitely the biggest transitional phase in my career so far.

What was your biggest challenge in the industry and how did you overcome it?

Our biggest challenge—which still exists—is convincing clients to invest in the lighting of their projects. Whether it is a small private apartment or a big project, investing in good lighting material is extremely essential. Lighting has many aspects that affect the final look and feel of the space.  We focus on the technicality in our presentations and it manifests in the quality of our products. 

What makes your products different from others?

The quality and the design are what make Solis unique. The design of Solis’ products is very modern, sleek, and simple. We deliver a product that combines quality and eloquent designs, competing with European brands, but with local prices. Our aim is to never compromise value for the price, but rather change the way lighting design is viewed in Egypt by offering a brand that has it all! We do not only sell products, but we also offer professional lighting design services. We have a passionate team of architects, highly experienced in the field of lighting.

Is there any story behind your brand? If yes, what is it?

Yes, there is a meaning behind the name and a story behind how we came up with the logo. Solis means sun in Latin, the source of all light. As for the logo, it combines all sources of light; natural and artificial. The natural light is the circle in the logo, which represents the rays of the sun. As for the artificial light, we decided to use an illustration of a table lamp, as shown.

In your expert opinion, who decides on the new trends in the lighting business?

In my opinion, the new lighting trends are decided by three parties: the lighting designers/architects, lighting manufacturers, and product designers.  The lighting field has massively changed since the introduction of LED. This technology offered a wide space for creativity and new trends due to the flexibility and small size of light sources.

Have any of your work or products supplied been recognized internationally?

We have got several inquiries internationally but still did not get the chance to supply outside of Egypt yet. We are focused on the Egyptian market; it has a huge potential. The market demand is very strong, and there is a huge gap in the market. 

Can you tell us about your latest project?

In 2020, we worked on more than 50 projects, ranging from residential, educational facilities, and offices. My favorite ones are Zeina HQ, Unilever HQ, and the French consulate. 

If there is one piece of advice that you would like to give to interior designers, what would it be?

Hire a professional lighting designer for your project. Lighting and architecture go along, so it is highly recommended to include the lighting in the design phase.